Top-ranked King women take title at Cliff Keen Duals

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Tabbed as the preseason favorites, the King University women's wrestling team lived up to that billing in their first event of the season. The Tornado cruised through pool play and both the quarter and semifinals before facing defending WCWA national champion Simon Fraser University in the finals of the Cliff Keen Duals. King didn't slow down, topping the Clan 35-9 to take the title.

King won the Cliff Keen Duals

The day started with a near perfect team effort as King defeated McKendree University 48-0. King earned pins at eight of the 10 weight classes en route to the victory. At 116 pounds, freshman Haley Augello pinned Lindsey Spjut in 32 seconds while Sarah Hildebrandt pinned Anna Divins in the same amount of time at 123 pounds. At 136 pounds, Alli Ragan pinned Sonia Beri in 41 seconds while Daisy Santos (109), Kayla Brendlinger (130) and Amanda Hendey (143) all earned pins.

In the semifinals, the Tornado squared off with Wayland Baptist University, and Shannon Constantine started the match with a pin in 2:45 at the 101 pound weight class. Santos followed with a pin in 1:49 at 109 and Ragan took a victory via pin in 53 seconds to give King a 28-0 lead. Lorrie Ramos and Malexis McAdoo capped King's 41-3 victory with tech fall wins at 170 and 191 pounds, respectively.

King then took on defending WCWA National Champion Simon Fraser in the finals. The Tornado fell behind 4-0 early, but Santos gave the 5-4 lead to King with a pin at 109 pounds. Augello followed with a win by tech fall at 116, and King held a 9-5 lead that they would not relinquish. At 136, Ragan took another pin victory, defeating Mallory Velte in 1:32. Julia Salata and McAdoo earned the final two King victories of the day as Salata earned win on a tech fall at 155 while McAdoo ended the 35-9 triumph with a pin of Jenna McLatchy in 1:46.

For the weekend, King win 7-0 en route to the Cliff Keen Duals championship.

The Tornado will be action again next Saturday when they host their only event of the season. King will face University of the Cumberlands and McKendree University at the Student Center Complex starting at 9:00 a.m.